Love is blind
by purplish-panda
Summary: Harry has been left blind in the aftermath of the Final Battle. Strong language; sorry, but they're teenage boys, what can you expect?, mild self harm; only a very small part and I wouldn't say it's particularly graphic, Slash, don't like, don't read.


**A/N: Ok, I'm not entirely happy with this, but I thought it was ok, and the more I play with it the worse it gets, so I'm posting it now before I completely ruin it. Please read and review, even if only to tell me that I ought to be ashamed of myself for using JKR's wonderful characters like this. **

Disclaimer: It's all mine. Every last bit. Notices lawyers glaring Fine, I lied, it's not mine. Can't have any fun can I? Sticks tongue out and runs away laughing stupidly

Harry settled himself down on the bank of the lake where he had been coming for several weeks now, since the end of the War, extinguished the Lead Me spell he'd been using, and drew a blade out of his pocket. He shoved the sleeves of his jumper up roughly to reveal a multitude of shining silvery scars amongst angry red welts, and fading pinkish lines. He laid the blade gently on his arm and began to apply a little pressure. Then, he began to drag it across his arm, a trail of red hissing up in its track. Beads of blood gathered up onto the surface slowly, and then began to slowly run down his arm.

"I'd clean that up if I were you, Potter," a voice from behind him drawled. Harry didn't even attempt to pull down his sleeve, knowing he'd been discovered, and finding he didn't really care.

"Draco," he replied, not even turning round. "Would it kill you to give a guy a warning before you creep up on him?"

Draco snorted mirthlessly as he settled himself down beside Harry. "I don't know what's more wrong about that sentence, the fact that you're referred to yourself in the _third_ person, or that you suggested that it would be worth _creeping up_ on someone _after_ warning them." A smile curved Harry's lips.

"Thought you were over the whole correcting my grammar thing," he remarked, with a hint of amusement in his tone.

"I wasn't- Don't try and distract me, Harry. What the _fuck_ is this all about?" He tried to sound uncaring, but the concern in his voice was evident.

"I know it's not the answer," Harry replied, as if commenting on the weather.

"No _shit_ it isn't!" Draco broke in vehemently.

"_But_," Harry continued, ignoring the blond-haired boy's interruption, "it's the closest thing I've got at the moment to one, so don't expect me to promise I won't do it again or some shit."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of trying to make you stop," Draco replied smoothly. "After all, what's the worst that could happen? You could only _die_, I could only _lose_ about the last person I _care_ about. Why would you think I'd want to make you _stop_?" His voice rose in volume considerably towards the end. Harry apparently didn't have an answer to that. Draco sighed. "I'm sorry. Give your arm here." He took it gently without waiting for Harry to obey him and put the tip of his wand to the new cut. He didn't relinquish his hold afterwards, keeping Harry's arm, palm upwards, spread across his lap, gently brushing his fingers over Harry's scars. "Really, though, Harry," he resumed, softly. "Please try to stop. It's dangerous. And I can't- I can't lose anyone else, Harry. Please."

"I will try," the dark-haired boy assured him. "I'm not promising to stop, because it doesn't work like that, but I will try. I swear. I know it's not the answer, Draco. I've known it for a while now. And you have my word that I will try to stop." He tipped his head to one side as if considering something. Then, "I wish I could see your face," he mused. Draco stiffened at this.

"I didn't know you cared, Potter," he drawled.

"Twat," replied Harry good-naturedly. "I don't mean it in a mocking way. I just-" He broke off.

"I understand," Draco replied softly. "I'm sorry. I'm sure your sight will come back in time." Harry smiled at this.

"Come stand in front of me?" he asked suddenly. Draco's eyebrows raised, but he did it. Harry held out his hands. "Do you mind?" he asked tentatively, his hands hovering in the air before Draco's face. Draco swallowed and shook his head, and then remembered that Harry couldn't see him.

"N-no," he whispered. Harry put out his hands, allowing them to drift over Draco's face, feeling his high cheekbones, the narrow, aristocratic nose, the raised eyebrows, the tense forehead, the slightly pointed chin. He let his hand rest along Draco's cheek.

"I'd almost forgotten some of what you looked like," he admitted slightly huskily. He let his hand drop to his side. A tear sprung to his eyes, and a frustrated look ran across his features. "I hate this!" he shot out, suddenly. He bit his lip, trying to control himself. "I'd thought that- that after _he_ was gone, the darkness would be gone." He laughed bitterly. "How wrong could I have been?" he asked cynically. Draco leaned forward hesitantly, and gently brushed his lips against the other boys. Harry looked startled for a moment, and then pushed back slightly. Then they broke away, although their foreheads leaned against each other still. A small smile crawled onto his lips. "Thanks, Draco," he whispered. The other boy shook his head slightly.

"Thank _you_, Harry. Not everyone would have forgiven me for what I did to you all those years." He swallowed.

"It wasn't your fault," protested Harry. "It was how you were brought up at fault, not you." Draco leaned back on his elbows, shaking his head and snorting amusedly.

"What?" demanded Harry defensively.

"Only you, Potter," Draco informed him lightly. "Only you would say that." Harry looked mildly offended and turned his head away from the direction of Draco's voice. Draco caught Harry's chin in his hand and turned it back towards him. "'S'why I love you you great prat," he said slightly thickly. He leaned forward and kissed Harry's sightless eyes lightly and then looked away. The smaller boy's eyes blazed gold for a moment and then cleared and focussed.

"Shite, Draco!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well I'm _sorry_," Draco retorted, sounding hurt and keeping his eyes fixed away from Harry. "I'm _sorry_ I admitted my _feelings_ which you bloody well _know_ is bloody _difficult_ for me!" Harry gave a snort of laughter.

"Finished yet?" he remarked cheerfully. He continued without waiting for an answer. "Good, 'cos now you've finished your little _drama queen_ routine," Draco made noises of disgust and objection," _now you've finished_ I thought you'd like to know that my sight's come back." Draco made a disbelieving sound and spun round holding up some fingers.

"How many?" he asked dumbfounded, staring at Harry's seemingly cured eyes.

"Four, Draco," Harry replied, trying to sound bored, but actually only managing a somewhat delighted and bemused tone, curiously like that of a happy toddler. Draco stared, open-mouthed. Harry hauled himself to his feet. "Time for bed, I think," he said contentedly. Draco got up too. "Night, Draco," Harry grinned.

"Night, Potter," Draco replied. A slightly hurt look appeared in his eyes, but he soldiered on softly. "I'm really really glad your sight is back, Harry."

"Thanks," Harry replied awkwardly. "And, you know, thanks for, like, helping me get my sight back and that. Really appreciate it. I don't even need glasses, um, anymore." He cleared his throat. "So, um, yeah, night." He turned away. Then, he swivelled back around quickly. "AwfuckitIloveyoutoo," he told the Slytherin quickly.

Draco looked confused. "What?"

"IloveyoutooDraco." Draco grinned wickedly, obviously realising what Harry had said this time.

"What was that Potter?" he asked slowly, the grin spreading across his face. "Speak up." Harry glared at him.

"I love you too, okay?!" Draco chuckled, an evil glint in his eye.

"Don't sound like it, but alright. I accept your infantile declarations of love." Harry looked furious. Draco's wicked expression softened.

"Joking, Harry." Harry didn't look convinced for a moment, and then his lips twitched.

"What?" Draco questioned. Harry burst into giggles. "What?!" Harry bit his lip to try and regain some kind of semblance of control.

"_'Infantile declarations of love'_?! What are you, Snape?!" He burst into laughter again.

Draco glowered and then smirked. "Is that your way of declaring your undying love for the delightful Severus Snape?" Harry sputtered and began to retaliate, but Draco threw an arm around his shoulders.  
"Shut up," he said good-naturedly. "Oh, and for your information, I'm not a _drama queen_."

"Are too," retaliated Harry.

"Am not," he replied affronted.

"Are are are," rejoined Harry.

"Am-" he broke off, laughed and rolled his eyes, and then steered Harry away from the lake and back up to the castle, the two of them laughing as they stumbled up the slope and slipped into the castle.

And inside the same castle, the eminent Headmaster of the institution of Hogwarts smiled to himself as he waved his wand over the picture frame that had been showing the scene by the lake. He had known all along what would happen, of course. They would probably have gotten together without his help anyway, but that blindness spell that he had cast on Harry in the aftermath of the Final Battle; well it had been pure genius even if he did say so himself. _Blindness instilled by the caster until true love's kiss breaks the spell. _The perfect way to draw the two stubborn boys together and realise their feelings, casting aside the fruitless emnity. Just as he had promised Severus. "It worked, Severus. You may rest in peace, dear boy," he whispered to the air. And he could almost hear Severus' voice call back in the warm way he had only in the privacy of Dumbledore's office; "Congratulations, you meddling old coot." Dumbledore chuckled and retired.

**A/N: I know, I know, the ending is crappy, sorry. Sorry, spacing is mucked up I know, but can't be bothered to fix it. I will beg you one last time R&R pleeeeeeeeeeease. I don't care what you say, honest, bad feedback is better than no feedback. Pleasepleaseplease. Okayy, I'm sounding desperate now, aren't I? Yeah. I'll go now, then. =)**


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